62 J. COLE.

planned ever so long, and he’s connived at it,
and has hooked it along with his pals. I
knows ’em, but we'll soon nab him; and if
so be as you'll be so kind as to let me take
down in writin’ all you knows about ‘J. Cole,’
which is his name, I’m informed, where you
took him from, his character, and previous
career, it will help considerable in laying
hands on him; and when he’s found we'll
soon find his pals.”

Of course, I told all I knew about Joe.
I felt positive he would come back, perhaps
in a few minutes, to explain everything.
Besides, there was Bogie, too. Why should
he take Bogie? The policeman suggested
that “perhaps the dawg foller’d him, and he
had taken it along with him, to prevent being
traced by its means.”

At length, all this questioning being over,
the household settled down into a sort of
strange calm. It seemed to us days since we
had said “ Good-night,” ‘and sought our rooms
on that night, and yet it was only twenty-
four hours ago; in that short time how
much had taken place! On going over all